X - Tactor comes to Titchfield

At this time of year, we could all do with a few laughs! For a superb evening or afternoon of entertainment, make sure you get your tickets for the annual TACT (Titchfield Arts & Community Theatre) review show.

This year’s production, entitled X-Tactor, opens on Friday 28th February, in the main hall of the Community Centre.

The show is an entertaining mix of sketches and songs that will have you giggling out loud.
It is written and performed by locals, so many of the sketches are about familiar places and events!

A scene from last year’s show

Come along with your friends and family and bring your own food and drink (as much or as little as you wish). Or, why not enjoy a spot of lunch before popping along to the Saturday or Sunday matinee performance.

Whatever you choose, you are bound to leave with a smile on your face, especially knowing that all proceeds will go to a chosen charity.

Friday 28th February – doors 7pm, show 7.30pm FEW TICKETS REMAINING
Saturday 29th February – matinee - doors 2pm, show 2.30pm
Saturday 29th February – evening - doors 7pm, show 7.30pm SOLD OUT
Sunday 1st March – matinee - doors 2pm, show 2.30pm

Tickets are £10 for the matinees, and £12 for the evening peformances. You have the choice to book a table, or join another table - all are welcome, the more the merrier! Please contact Louise Ashton to book – luluashton@gmail.com. 

Moviola’s Spring offerings

Titchfield Moviola team have announced their schedule of films for the new year.

Downton Abbey

Thursday 6th February – CURRENT WAR (12A) is the epic story of cutthroat competition. Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), who believes he and his partner, the upstart genius Nikolai Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America.
OFFICIAL TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3VeHyedL1U
 
Thursday 5th March – THE GOOD LIAR (15) Career con artist Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.
 OFFICIAL TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljKzFGpPHhw
 
Thursday 2nd April  – DOWNTON ABBEY (PG) The Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.
OFFICIAL TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu3mP0c51hE

Doors open 7pm, film 7.30pm at
Titchfield Festival Theatre, St Margarets Lane, Titchfield PO14 4BG

Tickets £6.00 from Daisy B’s Kitchen, The Square, Titchfield
Or on the door at the Theatre.
For film reviews and trailers go to www.titchfieldmoviola.com

å

TACT tickets on sale

Tickets for the very popular TACT show are now on sale.

This year’s production, entitled X-Tactor, opens on the 28th February at Titrchfield Community Centre.

As in previous years you are invited to bring along your own food and drink and enjoy a great show in the company of friends and family.

Performance Dates

The Bill and Ben sketch from last year’s show.

Friday 28th February Doors open 7pm for 7.30 performance

Saturday 29th February Doors open 2pm for 2.30pm matinee performance

and 7pm for 7.30pm evening performance

Sunday 1st March Doors open 2pm for 2.30pm matinee performance

Tickets are £10 for the matinee and £12 for the evening performances are now available from Louise Ashton - luluashton@gmail.com

Murder at the Theatre

This is not just murder; this is an S&M murder.

Murder at the Theatre is a comedy thriller and sequel to Murder in the Village Hall was staged in
January 2017.

Written and directed by local author and playwright Emma Bevan, it is Titchfield
Festival Theatre’s first play of 2020, providing a return to the stage for Inspector Ambrose.
The scene: it’s winter and outside it is bitterly cold.

A theatre is snow bound, but inside the actors and crew are busy working and preparing for the next production. But wait…. a murderer strikes and is on the loose… and the group of actors, an annoyed director and a frustrated playwright are all suspects.

Emma explains the inspiration behind the play. “Murder in the Village Hall was so well received in
January and I really enjoyed directing it. I thought a theatre setting would be ideal for the next play;
after all, there is something spooky behind the scenes at a theatre when only the actors and crew are
there, offering plenty of opportunities for murder with the various props and equipment.
“It is fair to say that Inspector Ambrose is not necessarily the canniest of detectives – colleagues refer
to her as ‘nice but dim Kim’ – although what she is good at is taking advantage of others and for
taking credit.

This all makes for a great setting and lots of entertainment on a winter’s evening at our
beautiful theatre.”Murder at the Theatre is a good, fun comedy thriller with a little bit of adult humour; however, it is more pantomime than X-rated, so it can be enjoyed by a mix of ages.

Murder at The Theatre opens on Wednesday 8th January until Saturday 18th January 2020 at
7.30pm in the Oak Theatre, Titchfield Festival Theatre, St Margarets Lane, Titchfield PO14 4BG.
Matinee performance Sunday 12th January 2020 at 2.30pm.
For more information, please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/or contact our Box Office on
01329 556156.

Website goes from strength to strength

The Titchfield News website has once again had a record year.

Page impressions for 2019 were just under 25,000, the year before we achieved around 16,000 that’s an increase of 56%

Page impressions are not the only way of gauging the success of a site, we recorded just over 11,000 unique visits.

There are a number of ways to view Titchfield News, on a mobile, desktop and tablet. Most views were via a mobile (60%), Then came the desktop (23%) and the tablet (18%).

The big story of the year was ‘Posbrook Lane triple whammy’ with 3,735 impressions followed by ‘Cheers for Bob and Maz’ and then ‘Village pride and village shame’.

Apart from the ‘News’ page we have a ‘Notice Board’ where posters promoting events are displayed, we have a ‘Gallery’ of the big events in the village and also a comprehensive Information section with lists of contact details of local groups, amenities and village businesses.

Our Facebook page is used to attract new users to the main website.

Web Editor, Phil Burner, said, “We have covered all the major stories and help promote many local events and organisations.

“I try to post at least two or three stories a week, but it all depends on getting information from friends, neighbours, groups and residents in general.

“So, please, let me know if you have a story to tell, an event or good cause you want the village to know about and I’ll put in in our ‘What’s On’ section and post the story on the ‘News’ page.”

Happy New Year to all our visitors, please visit again in 2020.

Titchfield A Century of Change now available

Just in time for Christmas. The much awaited latest history book from The Titchfield History Society is now on sale.

The book is packed full of historic views of the village alongside contempory images of the same view.

A great gift for friends and family any time of year.

If you would like a copy before Christmas pop into the Queen’s Head on Christmas Eve between 1pm and 3pm or again between 7pm and 8pm.

Copies of this facinating book Titchfield a Century of Change are just £10 each.

Carols on The Green

Click HERE to view the video on our Gallery page

Watch the video from last night’s magical Carols on the Green ‘flash mob’.

Christmas Market at Country Market

On Friday 20th December the Titchfield Country Market will be celebrating Christmas when it invites people into its Christmas Market.

This popular annual event is the last market of the year.
They welcome everyone to join them as they listen to carols sung by members of Fareham Philharmonic Choir.

At this festive event they will be handing out mince pies to all customers with their drinks.

The Market will open at 09:30 and close at 12 noon in the Parish Room, High Street,

Titchfield. Please come and join us in some festive fun and welcome in Christmas.

Singing by the tree

Come all ye faithful and join with members of West Hill Community Choir who will be singing carols and festive songs around the Christmas tree at the bottom of West Street.

So come along at 7pm on Thursday 19th and get into the Christmas spirit with friends and neighbours.

Comments closed on new Posbrook Lane development

Over 120 Titchfield residents and village groups have commented on the latest plans submitted to Fareham Borough Council to build 57 houses on a ‘Green Field’ site south of the village.

Detailed and extensive supporting documentation submitted to the council on behalf of Foreman Homes sets out the case for the development.

Earlier this year the planning inspector dismissed Foreman Homes appeal against FBC decision to reject plans for 150 houses on the same site.

The inspector gave the overall reasons for rejecting the original scheme, saying, I conclude that the proposed development would result in material harm to the character and appearance of the area.This would result in harm to a valued landscape.

To view Foreman Homes plans for the site, look over the documentation and read over 120 comments by residents and official bodies go to Fareham Planning Research and search for ‘Land East of Posbrook Lane Titchfield Fareham’ or P/19/1193/OA.

FBC will decide on this latest application by 14th February 2020

Titchfield medic on the BBC

Freddie Searight, son of Titchfield couple Sean and Pixie, is one of the stars of the BBC reality show, ‘Island Medics.’

Island Medics is a behind-the-scenes look at the work of hospital doctors, nurses and GPs at UK's most remote hospital, the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland.

The hospital is closer to the Arctic Circle than London.

Freddie is one of the three junior doctors featured in the show.

Click the link below to go to episode 1. It’s on weekdays starting again on Monday from 11.00 on BBC 1 and repeats before at 0715 on BBC2.

LINK
Island Medics

Another night of vandalism in the village

Three separate, but possibly connected, acts of vandalism and anti-social behaviour once again occurred in Titchfield last night.

Around 7pm a large group of youngsters were, it is reported on social media, abusive to residents and some Christmas trees and lights damaged in West Street.

Also, at some time during the evening Titchfield Primary School suffered a catalogue of mindless vandalism.

The school’s outbuildings were broken into and sports equipment was taken.

Roof tiles smashed, paint was thrown, pupils welly boots thrown around and damage done to some doors.

The police have been informed.

And thirdly last evening many Facebook members were reporting a single young girl knocking on doors in the village and singing ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’.

She appears to be trying to peer into the house. But when challenged she ran off to a waiting vehicle.

Elf day at Country Market

The Elves are taking over Friday’s Country Market at the Parish Rooms.

With funny hats, pointy ears and stripy tights the Country Market ladies will be unleashing their inner elf on Friday 6 December to raise money for and awareness of dementia.

National Elf day is a festive fundraiser to get you in the festive spirit and at the same time help the Alzheimer’s Society.

The Titchfield weekly Country Market sells homemade baked goods, eggs, preserves, garden-grown fruit and vegetables, plants and handmade crafts.

The market is open from 09:30 until 11:30.

Come and join us and meet the market elves and help a good cause.

Titchfield writer’s first novel

Jacqueline Cottrell’s novel, Vixstory, will transport you back in time to Nelson’s Portsmouth.

A chance encounter takes a young woman into dangerous places, layers of deceit are peeled back, lives and events collide and resonate over time.

Escaping from her former life and the indignity of her marriage to a suspected terrorist, Victoria moves to the city to start a new life.

A chance encounter involves her in even further deception, including the discovery of the secret world of her closet friend.

Her quest for truth threatens lives, including her own.

She has to find her path through the smoke and mirrors of the undercover police, the intelligence services and the criminal underworld, encountering murder, violence and exploitation in the process.

As events unfold, she becomes a woman haunted by the past as she is taken back to the Portsmouth of 1805 and discovers how worlds, lives and events collide and resonate over time.

Vix’s world becomes a dangerous place as the layers of deceit are peeled away as she searches for the answers she needs.

Vixstory by Jacqueline Cottrell is published by Austin Macauley and is available online.

LINK

Publishers Austin Macauley

Is this the root cause of anti-social behaviour in the village?

Have you spotted the small silver canisters littering the street?

The canisters once contained nitrous oxide, otherwise know as laughing gas, hippy crack or Noz.

The empty canisters have recently been spotted in gutters around the village but over 50 littered the area around the MUGA at the recreation ground off Mill Lane.

Around the country the use of nitrous-oxide has been linked to anti-social behaviour by young people and in communities, large and small.

The gas can be bought legally but only for use in making whipped cream.

Found at the recreation ground

On average five people a year die after inhaling the gas.

Taking nitrous oxide can cause:

• feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calmness

• fits of giggles and laughter – hence the nickname ‘laughing gas’

• sound distortions and hallucinations – when you see or hear things that aren't there

• stop you thinking straight

• cause short-lived but intense feelings of paranoia.

The gas is the second most commonly used drug among 16- to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis.

Posbrook development back on the cards

Foreman Homes have submitted an application to build homes on the same site they were previously turned down earlier this year.

The new plan is for 57 houses on part of the field closest to Bellfield but leaving an area of open land between the proposed estate and Great Posbrook House.

The original plan was for 150 houses and a Scout Hut but in April the planning inspector turned down Forman Homes appeal against Fareham’s decision to reject the application.

At the time the appeals inspector had concluded that the green (Meon) gap that is protected under FBC planning guidelines is important enough to prevent Foreman Homes going ahead with their development.

The inspector gave the overall reasons for rejecting the scheme, saying, ‘I conclude that the proposed development would result in material harm to the character and appearance of the area.This would result in harm to a valued landscape’.

A number of objections have already been lodged against the development including one from The Titchfield Village Trust who have objected to this application in the ‘strongest of terms’ saying that this is ‘a somewhat cynical attempt by a developer to undermine both the Inspectors report regarding the already refused application.’

The new application can be found on Fareham Council’s planning website by clicking HERE.

The Reference No. Is P/19/1193/O

The Decision Date is the 4th February 2020

Village pride and village shame

Two contrasting incidents took place in the village this weekend.

Sunday morning saw the ‘Best Kept Village’ clock mounted over the butchers in South Street for all to see.

And shamefully, sometime Saturday night - Sunday morning, the hairdressers in The Square was broken into.

Sign of the times?

VILLAGE PRIDE

The clock, which commemorates winning the Best Kept Village competition in 1987/88, was taken down from the wall of clock cottage in The High Street earlier this year.

Titchfield Village Trust organised its removal and paid for its subsequent repair and renovation and following a lick of paint has been secured to the wall over Hadlows.

VILLAGE SHAME

Just yards away in The Square staff were repairing a broken window to the barbers.

At some time during the night thieves had smashed the glass in the front door, got inside and stole a charity collection box and till money.

Last night’s incident was the latest in an ever increasing string of anti-social behaviour, vandalism and criminal damage that has plagued the village for the last six months.

If anyone is experiencing anti-social they must phone the police on 101 and at some point mention the words “Section 4 Public Order Offence” as a Community Trigger.

The Community Trigger empowers members of the public to ask Fareham's Community Safety Partnership to review their responses to any incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Crime can also be reported online at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/

Only call 999 during an emergency such as:

• a danger to life

• a crime is happening now (or has just happened)

• having immediate concerns for safety

• a dangerous incident on the motorway

• seeing something suspicious that needs immediate attention

NOT SO GENTLE? WAR AND CONFLICT IN THE ART OF HENRY MOORE.

The next meeting of The Arts Society Solent will feature a talk by MONICA BOHM-DUCHEN entitled NOT SO GENTLE? WAR AND CONFLICT IN THE ART OF HENRY MOORE.

Monica BohmDuchen

Prompted by the recent exhibition at Tate Britain, this lecture will trace an unfamiliar aspect of Moore’s oeuvre, from his response to the Spanish Civil War through his work as an official war artist during World War Two to his response to the Holocaust, the Cold War and the continued threat of atomic warfare in the 1960s.

The meeting takes place on Tuesday 19th November 2019 at 10.30 In the Titchfield Community Centre .

Part time Clerk to the Trustees required

The Earl of Southampton Trust is a charity which covers the areas of Titchfield, Sarisbury Green, Locks Heath, Hook, Warsash, Stubbington, Lee on Solent and Whitley.

The Trust owns 19 almshouses in Titchfield, runs a Day Centre and provides relief in need grants for qualifying residents in the area.

The Trustees are looking for a Clerk to assist with the daily running of the charity.

This role could be for you if you possess:

The Earl of Southampton’s Day Rooms in The Square

• good organisational and communication skills

• some financial know how

• strong IT skills

• a high standard of numeracy and literacy

• some knowledge of almshouses/property management

• a willingness to learn (training will be provided)

Hours: 12 hours per week – working pattern to be agreed

Salary: £27,000-30,000 per annum pro rata depending on experience

Location: Earl of Southampton Trust, 24 The Square, Titchfield, PO14 4RU

Apply to the Chairman, Frances Knight, for further details and CV to earlstrust@yahoo.co.uk

Before 31 December 2019

Residents stand in silent tribute to our heroic servicemen and women

Hundreds of Titchfield locals turned out to honour the memory of village servicemen who lost their lives while serving their country.

Following a moving service at St Peter’s Church the vicar, choir, scouts and congregation processed through The Square to the memorial at the Parish Rooms.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War.

Before the traditional Two Minute Silence members of the three main armed services read out the names of village residents who lost their lives in the First World War, the Second World War and in conflicts since.

Marine Bugler, Mr Jon Yates, played the Last Post, and at the end of the silence, Reveille.

The first wreath was then laid on behalf of The Royal British Legion followed by the Armed Forces and village organisations.

In poignant tribute, members of the congregation were invited to come forward and place their own crosses among the wreathes.

Then came the famous words of the Kohima Epitaph read by a member of the Scouts…

“When you go home, Tell them of us and say,

“For your tomorrow, We gave our today.”

Click HERE for a Gallery of images